Bengaluru, Jan 10: The Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) will host the third edition of the KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open from January 14 to 21 in a new avatar. This premier tennis tournament will be played under lights for the first time, thus enhancing the spectator experience.

“We are very excited to support women’s tennis in India with the upcoming KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open tennis championships, which we have supported for many years. Our family office is very focused on serving aces of equality and breaking barriers, rallying together for a future where every woman’s potential is unleashed. We feel that a greater participation and success of women in business will be a long-term game changer for India going forward,” said KP Balaraj, founder, KPB Trust and a former top ranked National level tennis player.

Boasting of an impressive US $40,000 in prize money, the KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open has attracted the best of women’s tennis talent from around the world. The event serves as a crucial platform for emerging players to showcase their skills, with the added incentive of 50 WTA points for the winner. Potentially, there could be 9 Indian players in the singles main draw of 32 (4 wildcards for main draw and 5 wildcards for qualifying).

“We thank Mr. KP Balaraj of KPB Family trust for his continued support to the coveted event on the women’s circuit. There is a solid synergy between the Trust’s mission and objectives of KSLTA. The KPB Trust ITF Women’s Open not only celebrates athletic excellence but also serves as a crucial stepping stone for Indian players, who gain a home advantage as they compete on familiar turf. The event has played a pivotal role in nurturing local talent and contributing to the growth of women’s tennis in our nation and creating top class athletes’ said Shri Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister of IT BT & RDPR, Govt. of Karnataka who is also the Sr. Vice President of KSLTA. “This event is extremely important for us as it’s one of the few ITF W50 events in the world and we welcome the sporting ambassadors from 21 countries to come and experience the hospitality of Bengaluru which is in pursuit of becoming the global sporting destination,” said Shri Kharge.

On the competition front, the main draw includes 20 direct entries, four wild cards and eight qualifiers. Last edition’s finalist Ankita Raina is the lone Indian figuring in the list of direct entries as per the acceptance list. Latvian Darja Semenistaja, ranked 143^rd on the WTA rankings, leads the list of a highly competitive field comprising players from over 19 countries.

The qualifying rounds will be held on Jan 14 and 15 while the main round begins from Jan 16.

Soha, Suhita given wildcards: Meanwhile, Soha Sadiq and Suhita Maruri, two of the most promising players from Karnataka have been given a wild card for the main draw by KSLTA.

Mandya, Jan 10: Karan Singh of India won a long battle against seventh seed Tsung-Hao Huang of Taipei to make it to the pre-quarterfinals of the PET ITF Mandya Open. The 20-year-old scripted a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory on a day when Indians faced a bag of mixed luck at the PET Stadium here on Wednesday.

The newest face in the Indian Davis Cup team and local favourite eighth seed SD Prajwal Dev squandered away his chances after being three match points up in the final set and went down to Yunseok Jang of Korea 2-6, 7-5, 5-7 in a battle that lasted over three hours. In the other upset of the day, Thijmen Loof of the Netherlands sent home sixth seed M Rifqi Fitriadi of Indonesia 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-1.

The other Indians to advance to the round of 16 included fourth seed Sasikumar Mukund who beat country mate Kabir Hans in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 while former Davis Cupper Vishnu Vardhan saw the back of Austrian David Pichler with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory. Madhwin Kamath also made it to the pre-quarterfinals with a 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over Kazakh Grigoriy Lomakin.

With most of the matches going to the wire, three matches were stopped half-way between owing to bad light.

Delhi lad Karan Singh who is touted as one of the most talented players in the country, began on an even keel against his Taipei opponent. After the first seven games went with the serve, Huang broke the Indian’s serve in the eight game and served out for the set 6-3. In an exact reverse of the first set, Karan who trains with Vivek Shokeen and has been focusing on his serve and volley approach, broke the seventh seed’s serve in the eighth game and took the second set 6-3, by which time, he had gained the required momentum.

After achieving a break in the third game in the final set, Karan took a deciding 3-1 lead. After a long battle, Huang held his serve in the fifth game. However, the Indian came up with some superb backhand shots which not only unnerved his fancied rival but gave him an upper hand as he once again broke Huang’s serve in the eighth game. During the fag end of the match, Huang hit it in the net even as Karan’s racquet had slipped out of his hand.   

Results Singles (Round of 32)

Yunseok Jang (KOR) bt 8-SD Prajwal Dev 6-2, 5-7, 7-5; 5-Nam Hoang Ly (VIE) bt Q-Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan 6-2, 6-3; 4-Sasikumar Mukund bt Kabir Hans 6-3, 6-4; Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong (MAS) bt Q-Rishi Reddy 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; Ofek Shimanov (ISR) BT Q-Shivank Bhatnagar 6-2, 6-4; 1-Kris Van Wyk (RSA) bt Q-Faisal Qamar 6-1, 7-6 (2); Thijmen Loof (NED) bt 6-M Rifqi Fitriadi (INA) 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-1; 3-Orel Kimhi (ISR) bt Rishab Agarwal 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; Karan Singh bt 7-Tsung-Hao Huang (TPE) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Q-Vishnu Vardhan bt David Pichler (AUT) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Q-Madhwin Kamath bt Grigoriy Lomakin (KAZ) 6-3, 7-6 (6); Manish Sureshkumar Vs. 2-Giles Hussey (GBR) 6-7 (4) (interrupted); Siddhant Banthia Vs. Jelle Sels (NED) 4-6 (interrupted); Ishaque Eqbal Vs. Matt Hulme (AUS)  7-6 (4), 2-2 (interrupted).

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — The highly anticipated Australian Open 2024 is set to feature a star-studded lineup, with the official seedings for the tournament now confirmed. The official draw is scheduled for Thursday, 11 January, at Melbourne Park, beginning at 1 pm in the main interview room.

Men’s Seeds:

• Top Seeds: Novak Djokovic (SRB) leads the pack as the top seed, followed by rising star Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) at number two.
• Top 10: The list includes familiar names like Daniil Medvedev (3rd), Jannik Sinner (ITA) at 4th, Andrey Rublev (5th), Alexander Zverev (GER) at 6th, Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) at 7th, Holger Rune (DEN) at 8th, Hubert Hurkacz (POL) at 9th, and Australia’s own Alex de Minaur rounding out the top 10.
• Notable Seeds: Other notable seeds include Casper Ruud (NOR), Taylor Fritz (USA), Grigor Dimitrov (BUL), and rising American stars Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton.

Women’s Seeds:

• Top Seed: World number one Iga Swiatek (POL) heads the women’s draw as the top seed.
• Top Contenders: She is followed by Aryna Sabalenka (2nd), Elena Rybakina (KAZ) at 3rd, and American sensation Coco Gauff at 4th.
• American Representation: Jessica Pegula (5th) and other Americans like Emma Navarro are set to compete.
• Global Talent: The women’s draw also features global talents like Ons Jabeur (TUN), Maria Sakkari (GRE), Barbora Krejcikova (CZE), and Canadian star Leylah Fernandez.

Tournament Expectations:
The Australian Open 2024 promises to be a thrilling event, showcasing the best in tennis from across the globe. With top players seeded and an exciting draw ahead, fans are eagerly anticipating the start of the tournament. The seeds set the stage for some intriguing matchups and potential upsets, as players vie for one of the most prestigious titles in tennis.

As the tournament nears, all eyes will be on Melbourne Park, where the world’s best tennis players will battle for glory in the first Grand Slam of the year.

MEN	Seed	WOMEN
Novak Djokovic (SRB)	1	Iga Swiatek (POL)
Carlos Alcaraz (ESP)	2	Aryna Sabalenka
Daniil Medvedev	3	Elena Rybakina (KAZ)
Jannik Sinner (ITA)	4	Coco Gauff (USA)
Andrey Rublev	5	Jessica Pegula (USA)
Alexander Zverev (GER)	6	Ons Jabeur (TUN)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)	7	Marketa Vondrousova (CZE)
Holger Rune (DEN)	8	Maria Sakkari (GRE)
Hubert Hurkacz (POL)	9	Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)
Alex de Minaur (AUS)	10	Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA)
Casper Ruud (NOR)	11	Jelena Ostapenko (LAT)
Taylor Fritz (USA)	12	Zheng Qinwen (CHN)
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)	13	Liudmila Samsonova
Tommy Paul (USA)	14	Daria Kasatkina
Karen Khachanov	15	Veronika Kudermetova
Ben Shelton (USA)	16	Caroline Garcia (FRA)
Frances Tiafoe (USA)	17	Ekaterina Alexandrova
Nicolas Jarry (CHI)	18	Victoria Azarenka
Cameron Norrie (GBR)	19	Elina Svitolina (UKR)
Adrian Mannarino (FRA)	20	Magda Linette (POL)
Ugo Humbert (FRA)	21	Donna Vekic (CRO)
Francisco Cerundolo (ARG)	22	Sorana Cirstea (ROU)
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)	23	Anastasia Potapova
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)	24	Anhelina Kalinina (UKR)
Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)	25	Elise Mertens (BEL)
Sebastian Baez (ARG)	26	Jasmine Paolini (ITA)
Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN)	27	Emma Navarro (USA)
Tallon Griekspoor (NED)	28	Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)
Sebastian Korda (USA)	29	Zhu Lin (CHN)
Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG)	30	Wang Xinyu (CHN)
Alexander Bublik (KAZ)	31	Marie Bouzkova (CZE)
Jiri Lehecka (CZE)	32	Leylah Fernandez (CAN)

Mandya, Jan 9:  Manish Ganesh not only warmed the hearts of the local tennis enthusiasts but also added one more ATP point to his tally as he breezed past Neeraj Yashpaul and entered the pre-quarterfinals of the Men’s Singles event in the PET ATP Mandya Open. In a first round match played at the PET Tennis Stadium here on Tuesday, the Mysore lad was a 6-1, 6-1 winner.

In the only other singles match held on the day, Siddharth Vishwakarma overcame Adil Kalyanpur 6-3, 6-1 to make it to the last 16.

The other Mysorean – SD Prajwal Dev, who is in the news for being selected for the Indian Davis Cup had to return dejected as his partner Nitin Kumar Sinha developed stomach cramps and the duo had to withdraw from the doubles pre-quarterfinal tie, despite leading 5-4 in the first set against Korean-Indian pair of Woobin Shin and Karan Singh. The eight seeded Prajwal plays against Korean Yunseok Jang a first round encounter tomorrow.

Earlier, the tournament was inaugurated in a simple yet heart-warming function with Dr. Kumar, District Commissioner, Mandya District lighting the lamp amongst the presence of other dignitaries including KR Dayanand, President Mandya District Lawn Tennis Association, Yathish N, Superintendent of Police, Mandya District and M Lakshminarayan, Hon. Life President, KSLTA amongst others.

The 23-year-old Neeraj began on a tentative note, barely managing to hold his serve in the first game. Manish, buoyed by the support from the home crowd played some brilliant tennis mixing aggression with caution and more often than not used the former trait. With the conditions suiting his game, the 22-year-old served with aplomb and came up with winners most of the time. Piercing through the defence of the left-hander, Manish didn’t give his opponent a semblance of a chance winning the next six game in a row.

In the second set, Manish broke his opponent’s serve in the second game to go 2-0 up but got broken in the 3^rd game. However, that was the only blemish that he committed as the home crowd favourite won the next four games in a row to grab the set and the match at 6-1 in a match that lasted just 67 minutes.  

Results Singles (Round of 32)

Siddharth Vishwakarma bt Adil Kalyanpur 6-3, 6-1; Manish Ganesh bt Neeraj Yashpaul 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles (Round of 16)

4-Parikshit Somani/Manish Sureshkumar bt Siddhant Banthia/Giles Hussey (GBR) 6-4, 6-3; Sai Karteek Reddy Ganta/Vishnu Vardhan bt Ishaque Eqbal/Faisal Qamar 6-4, 7-6 (8); Orel Kimhi (ISR) / Ofek Shimanov (ISR) bt Yash Chaurasia/Jagmeet Singh 6-2, 6-1; M Rifqi Fitriadi (INA)/Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong (MAS) bt Preetham Ganesh AS/Chandan Shivaraj 4-6, 6-0, 10-6; Thijmen Loof (NED)/Jelle Sels (NED) bt 3-Tsung-Hao Huang (TPE)/Kris Van Wyk (RSA) 6-4, 7-5; Woobin Shin (KOR)/Karan Singh bt 2-SD Prajwal Dev/Nitin Kumar Sinha 4-5 (retd); 1-Grigoriy Lomakin (KAZ)/David Pichler (AUT) bt Manish Ganesh/Rishi Reddy 6-3, 6-2; Yunseok Jang (KOR)/Nam Hoang Ly (VIE) bt Rishab Agarwal/Adil Kalyanpur 7-5, 7-6 (4).

Mandya, Jan 8:  Faisal Qamar and Shivank Bhatnagar brought cheers to the Indian camp after they scripted an upset victory in the second and final qualifying round to make it to the main draw of the PET ITF Mandya Open at the PET Stadium here on Monday. While Faisal won a one hour-49 minute battle against 8^th seed Jiayang Dong of Australia 6-4, 4-6, 10-5, Shivank continued his good run upsetting fifth seed Aaron Cohen of Israel 7-5, 3-6, 10-6 in one hour 50 mins.

Thijmen Loof of The Netherlands ousted third seed Aryan Shah in straight sets 6-3, 6-1 while 12^th seed Vishnu Vardhan saw the back of the second seed Woobin Shin of Korea 6-3, 6-7 (5), 10-4 in the longest match of the day that lasted for over 2 hours.

The 24-year-old Faisal who came to Mandya after having recovered from a health issue and not having hit the courts until Saturday, immediately took a liking to the courts at the PET Stadium. After being 0-3 down in the first set, Faisal who trains with his father, crawled back into the game with some stunning cross court winners against his extremely agile Australian opponent and took the first set 6-4. The Jaipur lad was one break up in the second set but soon lost the advantage and got broken, eventually losing the set 4-6. In the deciding super tie-break, the Indian dominated the error-prone visitor to end up as the winner.

Faisal now runs into Kris Van Wyk of South Africa who has been giving the top billing for the main round. Sasikumar Mukund is the top seeded Indian at No.4 while the recent inductee in the Indian Davis Cup team, SD Prajwal Dev is seeded No.8. Giles Hussey of Great Britain is seeded second while Isralian Orel Kimhi is seeded No.3. Nam Hoang Ly of Vietnam, Indonesian M Rifiqi Fitriadi and Tsung-Hao Huang of Taipei are seeded from 5^th, 6^th and 7^th respectively.

Results Singles Final Qualifying Round

(All Indians except where mentioned)

16-Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan bt 4-Raghav Jaisinghani 6-4, 6-2; 9-Matt Hulme (AUS) bt Jagmeet Singh 7-5, 6-3; Faisal Qamar bt 8-Jiayang Dong 6-4, 4-6, 10-5; 11-Vishnu Vardhan bt 2-Woobin Shin (KOR) 6-3, 6-7 (5), 10-4; 12-Kabir Hans bt Parikshit Somani 6-4, 7-6 (5); Thijmen Loof (NED) bt 3-Aryan Shah  6-3, 6-1; Shivank Bhatnagar bt 5-Aaron Cohen (ISR) 7-5, 3-6, 10-6; 7-Madhwin Kamath bt Lohithaksha Bathrinath 6-4, 4-6, 10-6.

Elena Rybakina, the world No. 4 from Kazakhstan, showcased her exceptional skills at the Brisbane International 2024, claiming her sixth career title in a dominant fashion. In the final, Rybakina faced Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open champion, delivering a resounding 6-0, 6-3 victory. This win not only marks Rybakina’s third title on a hard court but also her second in Australia, following her success at the Hobart trophy in 2020.

Rybakina’s performance in Brisbane was nothing short of remarkable, as she ended Sabalenka’s impressive 15-match winning streak in Australia. Despite entering the final with a head-to-head record of 2-5 against Sabalenka, Rybakina turned the tables, showcasing her growth and resilience on the court.

This victory at the Brisbane International adds another illustrious chapter to Rybakina’s career, underscoring her status as a formidable force in women’s tennis. Her ability to triumph over a top-tier opponent like Sabalenka not only reflects her skill but also her mental fortitude in high-pressure situations.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Australian Open. Nadal shared the news on social media, citing a recent muscle injury as the reason for his decision.

Hi all, during my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried. Once I got to Melbourne I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news.
Right… pic.twitter.com/WpApfzjf3C

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) January 7, 2024

Nadal, who recently made his much-anticipated return to tennis in Brisbane, experienced a minor muscle issue during his last match in the tournament. Despite the injury being in a different location from his previous one, it has raised concerns about his ability to compete in the high-intensity, five-set matches typical of Grand Slam events.

In his statement, Nadal said, “Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of exigence in 5 sets matches.” He plans to return to Spain for further medical consultation and rest.

Despite this setback, Nadal remains optimistic about his recovery and future performance. He has expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play in Brisbane, where he achieved victories over Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler before losing to Jordan Thompson.

This withdrawal follows Nadal’s early exit from last year’s Australian Open and a subsequent hiatus from the sport due to injury. His comeback had been eagerly anticipated by fans worldwide.

Nadal’s absence from the Australian Open is a significant loss for the tournament, but he maintains a positive outlook on his recovery and the season ahead. His focus now shifts to getting back to full fitness and returning to the highest level of competition.

Mandya, Jan 7: Shivank Bhatnagar of Indian scored an upset win over 14^th seed Bharath Nishok Kumaran in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 to enter the final round of the qualifying of the PET ITF Mandya Open 2024 at the PET Stadium here on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Shivank who is ranked 93 notches below Bharath on the ATP ranking, earned an early break in the second game and took a 3-0 lead. Both the players held their respective serves as Shivank took the set 6-3. The second set was keenly contested until the match was resolved via tie-breaker where Shivank didn’t give the 25 year old a semblance of a chance to grab the set and match winning the tie-break 7-1.

In other upset matches of the day, Faisal Qamar beat 15^th seed Rohan Mehra 5-7, 6-4, 10-1 while Thijmen Loof of the Netherlands raced past 10^th seed Imran Sibille of Morocco 6-1, 6-0.

Former Indian Davis Cupper and Asian Games medallist Vishnu Vardhan overcame a fighting Dheeraj Kodancha Srinivasan 6-0, 6-7 (6), 10-5.

Local lad Prajwal SV, the youngest in the field at 16, showed much promise winning the first two points of the match but later fizzled away as his inexperience was exposed against the ninth seed Matt Hulme of Australia. Matt almost blanked opponent 6-0, 6-1.

Results Singles Qualifying Round-1

(All Indians except where mentioned)

16-Ranjeet Virali-Murugesan bt Dev Sinha 6-3, 6-4; 2-Woobin Shin (KOR) bt Yash Chaurasia 6-4, 6-2; Jagmeet Singh bt 6-Mattias Southcombe (GBR) 7-5, 6-2; Parikshit Somani bt Kevin Titus Suresh 4-6, 6-1, 10-7; Thijmen Loof (NED) bt 10-Imran Sibille (MAR) 6-1, 6-0; 12-Kabir Hans bt Arjun Mahadevan 6-2, 6-1; 11-Vishnu Vardhan bt Dheeraj Kodancha Srinivasan 6-0, 6-7 (6), 10-5; 9-Matt Hulme (AUS) bt Prajwal SV 6-0, 6-1; 7-Madhwin Kamath bt Dharmil Shah 6-3, 6-0; 3-Aryan Shah bt Oges Theyjo Jaya Prakash 2-0 (retd); 4-Raghav Jaisinghani bt Yash Yadav 6-1 (retd); 5-Aaron Cohen (ISR) bt Abhinav Sanjeev Shanmugam 6-3, 7-6 (10); Shivank Bhatnagar bt 14-Bharath Nishok Kumaran 6-3, 7-6 (1); Lohithaksha Bathrinath bt 13-Sai Karteek Reddy Ganta 5-7, 6-2, 10-5; Faisal Qamar bt 15-Rohan Mehra 5-7, 6-4, 10-1; 8-Jiayang Dong bt Prashant Sawant 6-0, 6-0.

Mandya, Jan 5: The New Year begins on a bright note for tennis in Karnataka as the Sugar Town of Mandya will be back on the global tennis map after a gap of eight years when it hosts the PET ITF Mandya Open ITF Men’s World Tennis Tour at the PET Stadium here from Jan 7 to 14. Mandya had last hosted an international event in May 2015 with previous events being held in 2010 and 2012.

The tournament boasts a prize pool of US $25,000 and has drawn top talent from around the globe which includes players from over 18 countries. The top five players on the acceptance list include Eric Vanshelboim of Ukraine, South African Kris van Wyk, Giles Hussey of Great Britain, Thomas Fancutt of Australia and India’s Sasikumar Mukund. One of Karnataka’s brightest talents SD Prajwal Dev from the neighbouring Mysore district and who has just been inducted in the Indian Davis Cup team is amongst five Indians who have got a direct entry.

Dayanand KR, President of Mandya District Lawn Tennis Association who is also Chairman of Organising Committee said: “I’m extremely proud that the ITF World Tennis Tour event is coming back to Mandya after a gap of eight years. We have left no stone unturned to ensure that the players have a comfortable time in Mandya both on and off the court. I would like to thank all the sponsors, especially the president of PET KS Vijayanand and co-sponsors Stone Co, without whom the event would not be possible. I request the public to come and watch some of the best talent on display. On behalf of everyone, I wish all the players the very best.”

Maheshwar Rao, Honorary Secretary, KSLTA in a statement said: “It is our endeavour to develop and grow the sport of tennis across the state. In the recent months, we have had ITF events in Dharwad, Davanagere and Kalaburagi where the spectators came in large numbers and supported the players. KSLTA is the only state Tennis association in the country to boast of 12 districts capable of holding such international events. We hope that events like these will benefit the local players while giving small towns an international exposure.”

The main draw in the singles competition will comprise of 32 players with 20 of them gaining direct entry while four of them will earn a wild card. The remaining eight players will come from a pool of 32 players who will be playing the qualifying rounds to be held on 7th and 8th of January. As many as 16 pairs will vie for the doubles title. The doubles finals will be played on 13th January while the singles finals will be held on January 14.

The tournament would not only provide a platform for emerging talents but also offer tennis enthusiasts in Mandya and neighbouring regions a unique opportunity to witness high-level professional tennis. Going by the quality of the field, an exciting week of tennis action is in store for the tennis enthusiasts.

GR Amarnath would be the Tournament Director while Puneet Gupta would be the ITF Supervisor for this event.

Meanwhile, the wildcards for the main event included Rishi Reddy, Manish G, Manish Sureshkumar and Neeraj Yashpal.

Australian Open has witnessed some of the most stellar performances by Indian players at the Rod Laver Arena. Through sheer determination, resilience and grit, Indian tennis players have engraved their names in the history books at this prestigious Grand Slam tournament. Join us, as we revisit the moments when Indian athletes displayed their sporting spirits making the entire nation proud. 

Sania Mirza’s history making performance in the 2016 Australian Open 

The 2016 Australian Open will be remembered as a defining moment in Indian tennis history as Sania Mirza along with her doubles partner Martina Hingis lifted the coveted title. Their victory in the final over Czechia pair Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka [(7-6 (1), 6-3)] made the history books, as Sania Mirza became the first Indian woman to secure a Grand Slam title in women’s doubles category at the Australian Open. With this win, they soared to new heights of success, securing their 12^th title win together and maintaining an impressive 36-game winning streak. 

Leander Paes achieves the unthinkable 

Shockwaves were sent across the globe when India’s first entrant into the International Tennis Hall of Fame – Leander Paes along with his doubles partner Radek Stepanek defeated 16-time Grand Slam champions and the most successful tennis duo of all-time Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in the men’s doubles category at the 2012 Australian Open final. After losing to the Bryan brothers five times, Leander Paes finally got the upper hand by denying them their record 12^th Grand Slam title. This victory marked a historic milestone as Paes lifted his first Australian Open trophy.  

Bhupathi-Sania duo scripts Indian victory 

Mahesh Bhupathi clinched his second Australian Open mixed doubles title by pairing up with the then 22-year-old Indian prodigy Sania Mirza, crushing Andy Ram and Natalie Dechy in straight sets in the 2009 Australian Open final. This triumph marked Bhupathi’s 11^th Grand Slam title, an impressive seventh in the mixed doubles category. For the young Sania Mirza, this was her first-ever Grand Slam title.

Ramesh Krishnan pulling off a major upset 

The 1989 Australian Open proved to be a game-changer for the Indian tennis fraternity when the iconic Ramesh Krishnan was drawn against the then No. 1 ranked Mats Wilander in the 2^nd round and achieved the unthinkable. Despite the potential for Wilander to secure a seventh straight victory against Krishnan, the match concluded with a straight sets scoreline of 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 in favour of Krishnan, leaving the spectators in awe. 

Sr. No.	Player	Year
1	Leander Paes and Martina Navratilova	2003
2	Mahesh Bhupathi and Martina Hingis	2006
3	Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza	2009
4	Leander Paes and Cara Black	2010
5	Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek	2012
6	Leander Paes and Martina Hingis	2015
7	Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis	2016

Ahead of the 2024 edition of Australian Open, Sony Sports Network is delighted to have two-time Australian Open champion Sania Mirza as an expert on its studio show Extraaa Serve along with former India No. 1 singles player Somdev Devvarman, and the accomplished two-time ATP World Tour title-holder in men’s doubles, Purav Raja who will provide unparalleled insights, making it a must-watch for tennis enthusiasts. 

The 2024 United Cup, an international outdoor hard court mixed-gender team tennis tournament, will be the second edition of this exciting event. Organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the tournament is set to take place from 29 December 2023 to 7 January 2024, spanning across two Australian cities: Perth and Sydney. This tournament serves as the opener for both the 2024 ATP Tour and the 2024 WTA Tour.

Format and Venues

The tournament will be hosted in two venues: RAC Arena in Perth and Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney. Both cities will accommodate three groups of three countries each, following a round-robin format. This involves one men’s and one women’s singles match, along with one mixed doubles match per session. The group winners and the best runner-up from each city will advance to the quarterfinals, with the semi-finals and final rounds taking place in Sydney.

Prize Money and Ranking Points

The United Cup offers a substantial prize pool of A$15,000,000, which is approximately US$10,000,000. In terms of ranking points, players can earn different points based on the round they reach and the ranking of their opponents. For instance, a win in the final against a top 10 ranked opponent can earn a player 180 points, while a group stage win against the same level of opponent would earn 55 points. A maximum of 500 points can be earned by a player during the tournament.

Teams and Qualification

Eighteen countries will participate, with each team comprising up to three men and three women. Qualification for the United Cup is based on the six highest-ranked men and six highest-ranked women entered, according to their Pepperstone ATP and WTA Tour rankings. Additionally, six teams will qualify based on the best combined ranking of the highest-ranked men’s and women’s players from the same country, with Australia guaranteed entry either directly via ranking or as a wildcard.

FORMAT

Each city will host nine teams, with each team comprised of three men and three women. Ties are comprised of one men’s singles match, one women’s singles match and one mixed doubles match.
 
Each city will host two groups of three countries, competing in a round-robin format. Group winners in each city will advance to the quarterfinals, with one quarterfinal spot in each city awarded to the best runner-up in that city. 
 
Winners progress to the semifinals and finals in Sydney. Teams advancing from Perth will receive a travel day and rest day on Jan. 4 and 5.

The semifinals will be played on Saturday, Jan. 6 and the final will be played on Saturday, Jan. 7.

The groups were drawn in October. Here’s where each of the 18 teams will play:

Perth

Group A: Poland, Spain, Brazil
Group C: United States, Great Britain, Australia
Group E: Czech Republic, China, Serbia

Sydney

Group D: Greece, Canada, Chile
Group E: France, Italy, Germany
Group F: Croatia, Netherlands, Norway

Innovations and Highlights

The 2024 edition introduces a new format where each tie will be determined in a single session. This includes one men’s singles and one women’s singles match featuring the No.1 ranked singles players from the teams, followed by a mixed doubles match. This format showcases equality at the highest level of the sport, with the world’s top-ranked tennis players competing side-by-side.

Tickets and Participation

Tickets for the semifinals and finals of the United Cup went on sale on 6 October via Ticketmaster. Participation in the tournament is contingent on players committing to the event by the tournament’s entry deadline, which was 17 October for the first 16 teams, with the remaining two teams decided on 20 November.

In summary, the 2024 United Cup promises to be a significant event in the tennis calendar, combining top-tier competition with a unique mixed-gender format, significant prize money, and crucial ranking points, all set against the backdrop of two of Australia’s most vibrant cities.

Dubai, December 26, 2023: US Open Champion, Daniil Medvedev and 2023 Australian Open quarterfinalist Andrey Rublev led Punit Balan Group Eagles won the World Tennis League title on Sunday night. In the finals played at the Etihad Arena, UAE, the PBG Eagles defeated Team Kites 29-26 for the coveted trophy and winning purse.

Punit Balan Group were bang on with the formidable combinations of players. Despite losing their opening mixed doubles tie, where the Medvedev-Mirra Andreeva pair went down to Paula Badosa-Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (5-7) in a tie-breaker, PBG Eagles returned with a bang to register victories in women’s doubles, men’s doubles and women’s singles.

Andreeva and Sofia Kenin defeated Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka overcame a stiff challenge to score a 7-5 win in the women’s doubles category.

“It was the first World Tennis League for me and begins straight with the victory. So, I am happy about it, happy for the team and happy that I managed to bring some points. I was happy with my doubles (men’s), especially because in the first match we played with Sophia we lost. And then I managed to step up my game. The only doubles after that we lost was mixed doubles. But it’s okay, in tennis, that can happen,” commented the World No. 3 Medvedev.

Medvedev and Rublev had a rather easy outing against Grigor Dimitrov and Lloyd Harris, scoring a 6–3 victory as a men’s doubles pair and the World No. 5, Rublev was happy with his contributions and that he could lead the team for a podium finish.

“Having the tennis greats of our time as part of PBG Eagles itself was an amazing experience and to top it with a win, we couldn’t have asked for more. The way we approached the matches and ensured a clinical finish was critical and I am very happy that we finished as Champions and give our fans a strong reason to celebrate as we finish 2023,” commented Punit Balan, Chairman & Managing Director of the Punit Balan Group.

PBG Eagles soared further high with World No. 33 Kenin’ upsetting World No. 2 Sabalenka in the women’s singles category.

The opposition needed to register a spectacular win in the men’s singles match. Although Grigor Dimitrov managed to score a 6-3 victory over Rublev, PBG Eagles had enough point cushion to claim the title 29-26.

Cristina Bucsa Clinches Historic Double Victory at Open BLS de Limoges

In an extraordinary display of skill and endurance, Spain’s Cristina Bucsa triumphed in both the singles and doubles events at the Open BLS de Limoges, marking the final WTA 125 tournament of the 2023 season. This remarkable feat was accomplished in Limoges, France, where Bucsa showcased her exceptional talent.

The 25-year-old, currently ranked World No.82 in singles, started her victorious day with a stunning comeback in the singles final against French player Elsa Jacquemot. Despite a challenging start, losing the first set 2-6, Bucsa displayed remarkable resilience, overturning the match with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over the 235th-ranked Jacquemot in a battle that lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes. This win marks her first career WTA 125 singles title.

Bucsa’s route to the singles final was not without its challenges. In the quarterfinals, she faced a formidable opponent in 20-year-old French wild card Lois Boisson. Despite being down 5-0 in the first set, Bucsa made a remarkable recovery, saving three set points and eventually securing a 7-6(3), 6-2 victory.

In the singles final, Bucsa’s opponent Jacquemot initially dominated, building a 4-0 lead. Jacquemot exhibited strength in her first-serve points, winning 88 percent in the first set. However, Bucsa turned the tables in the second set, demonstrating her prowess with a commanding forehand winner that set the tone for the rest of the match.

The third set witnessed Jacquemot faltering with consecutive double faults, allowing Bucsa to capitalize on the momentum, eventually breaking her opponent for a 5-2 lead. Bucsa showcased her skill and mental toughness, recovering from 0-30 down and securing the championship on her first opportunity. This victory will elevate Bucsa to a career-high singles ranking of No.61.

Less than an hour after her singles triumph, Bucsa returned to center court for the doubles final. Teaming up with Yana Sizikova, they faced the No.2 seeds Oksana Kalashnikova and Maia Lumsden. In an impressive display of teamwork and strategy, Bucsa and Sizikova clinched the title with a 6-4, 6-1 victory. The duo overcame early setbacks in the first set, eventually winning 11 of the next 13 games, sealing the match in 68 minutes.

This victory adds a remarkable chapter to Bucsa’s career, with four WTA 125 doubles titles to her name in the last 13 months, each with a different partner. Sizikova, on the other hand, celebrates her second WTA 125 doubles title, the first being in Colina, Chile last November with Aldila Sutjiadi.

Pune, 15th December 2023:Rackets clashed and emotions soared as the fourth day of season 5 of the Tennis Premier League powered by Clear delivered nail-biting matches that were pure cinematic drama.

The first fixture of Day 4 of season 5 of Tennis Premier League was kicked -off with Punjab Patriots going up against Mumbai Leon Army. Conny Perrin of Punjab Patriots emerged victorious against Sowjanya Bavisetti of Mumbai Leon Army in the Women’s Single Category, in a game that ended 11-9. Digvijay Pratap Singh of the Punjab Patriots lost to Ernests Gulbis of the Mumbai Leon Army 9-11 in the Men’s Singles Category. Conny Perrin and Arjun Khade of the Punjab Patriots beat Sowjanya Bavisetti and Vijay Sundar Prashanth of the Mumbai Leon Army in the Mixed Doubles category as the game ended 12-8. The final game of the match was the Men’s Doubles Category, in which Digvijay Pratap Singh and Arjun Khade of the Punjab Patriots took on Ernests Gulbis and Vijay Sundar Prashanth of Mumbai Leon Army. The game ended 11-9 in favour of the Punjab Patriots. The Patriots emerged victorious from the match as it ended 43-37 in their favour. Arjun Khade was adjudged to be the best player of the match for his exceptional performance for the Patriots.

The second fixture of Day 4 saw the Gujarat Panthers clash with the Bengaluru SG Mavericks. The Gujarat Panthers Ambassador, Arjun Kapoor was in the dugout motivating his players to push themselves during the games. Ekaterina Yashina of the Gujarat Panthers beat Arina Rodionova of Bengaluru SG Mavericks, 12-8, in the Women’s Singles Category. In the Men’s Singles Category, Sumit Nagal of the Gujarat Panthers lost convincingly to Ramkumar Ramanathan of the Bengaluru SG Mavericks, as the scores at the end of the match read 6-14. Ekaterina Yashina and Mukund Sasikumar of the Gujarat Panthers lost to Arina Rodionova and Vishnu Vardhan from Bengaluru SG Mavericks, in the Mixed Doubles category, 9-11. Sumit Nagal and Mukund Sasikumar of Gujarat Panthers beat Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vishnu Vardhan from Bengaluru SG Mavericks, in the Men’s Doubles Category which was thoroughly dominated by Bengaluru and ended 7-13 in their favour. Bengaluru SG Mavericks bested the Gujarat Panthers as the match ended 34-46. Ramkumar Ramanathan was awarded the Player of the Match for his brilliant performance for the Bengaluru SG Mavericks.

The third fixture of Day 4 was between the Delhi Binny’s Brigade and the Bengal Wizards. The match started with the Women’s Singles Category, in which Sahaja Yamalapalli of Delhi Binny’s Brigade beat Maria Timofeeva from Bengal Wizards, in a clash that ended 13-7. Denis Novak of Delhi Binny’s Brigade and Sriram Balaji of the Bengal Wizards went head-to-head in an entertaining Men’s Singles game that ended 12-8 in favour of Delhi. It was followed by the Mixed Doubles game that saw Sahaja Yamalapalli and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan of the Delhi Binny’s Brigade lost to Maria Timofeeva and Anirudh Chandrasekar of the Bengal Wizards which ended 9-11. In the Men’s Doubles Category, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Dennis Novak of Delhi Binny’s Brigade took on Sriram Balaji and Anirudh Chandrasekar of the Bengal Wizards. The Delhi Binny’s Brigade duo came out on top with a score of 11-9. Delhi Binny’s Brigade won the match, ending 45-35 in their favour. Denis Novak of Delhi Binny’s Brigade was awarded the player of the match award.

The last fixture of the day Pune Jaguars went head-to-head against Hyderabad Strikers. In the Women’s Singles, Diana Marcinkevica of Pune Jaguars lost to Ellen Perez of Hyderabad Strikers, 5-15. In the Men’s Singles Category, Lukas Rosol of Pune Jaguars drew with Niki Poonacha of Hyderabad Strikers, which ended 10-all. Diana Marcinkevica and Rithvik Bollipalli of the Pune Jaguars took on Ellen Perez and Saketh Myneni of the Hyderabad Strikers in the Mixed Doubles category. The game ended 12-8 in favour of the Jaguars. In the final game of Day 4, Rithvik Bollipalli and Lukas Rosol of the Pune Jaguar went up against Saketh Myneni and Niki Poonacha of Hyderabad Strikers in the Men’s Doubles Category. The game ended in a 12-8, in favour of the Jaguars. The Hyderabad Strikers came out on top in the match after ended 39-41.  Ellen Perez of Hyderabad Strikers won the player of the match award.

Balewadi Stadium pulsed with electric energy as Day 4 of TPL Season 5 delivered edge-of-your-seat tennis, leaving spectators breathless. Bengaluru SG Mavericks leap-frogged to take the top spot in the table with 173. The Punjab Patriots and the Bengal Wizards sat second and third in the league table respectively with 164 points apiece. They were closely followed by Delhi Binny’s Brigade and the Hyderabad Strikers in the fourth and fifth spot respectively with 160 points each. The Gujarat Panthers sat sixth at the end of Day 4 with 157 points.  Mumbai Leon Army were seventh by the end of Day 4 with 156 points, while the Pune Jaguars remained eighth with 146 points.

All the action from the Tennis Premier League being held at Balewadi Stadium can be witnessed live on SONY TEN 2 channel starting from 4.30 pm on the 16th of December 2023.

 

Pune, 13th December 2023: The second day of the Tennis Premier League (TPL) powered by Clear season 5 saw a series of enthralling matches being played out on the day.
 
The round of fixtures on Day 2 of the Tennis Premier League began with a highly anticipated clash between Bengaluru SG Mavericks and Pune Jaguars. The match started with the Women’s Singles Category as Arina Rodionova of Bengaluru SG Mavericks went up against Diana Marcinkevica of Pune Jaguars. The game ended 15-5 in favour of the Bengaluru SG Mavericks. It was followed by the Men’s Single Category which saw Ramkumar Ramanathan of the Bengaluru SG Mavericks go up against Lukas Rosol of Pune Jaguars, the clash ended in favour of the Pune Jaguars with a score of 7-13. Arina Rodionova and Vishnu Vardhan from Bengaluru SG Mavericks played against Diana Marcinkevica and Rithvik Bollipalli of the Pune Jaguars in the Mixed Doubles Category, which ended in 11-9 in favour of the Bengaluru SG Mavericks. In the Men’s Doubles Category, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vishnu Vardhan from Bengaluru SG Mavericks came out on top in the tie against Rithvik Bollipalli and Lukas Rosol of the Pune Jaguar, as the match ended 11-9. Bengaluru SG Mavericks won the fixture against Pune Jaguars as it ended, 44-36 in their favour. Arina Rodionova of Bengaluru SG Mavericks was awarded player of the match. 
 
The second match of the day was between Punjab Patriots and Delhi Binny’s Brigade and a closely contested affair. The Delhi team’s Ambassador, Malliaka Arora was cheering her team on from the dugout. Conny Perrin of Punjab Patriots went up against Sahaja Yamalapalli of Delhi Binny’s Brigade. Conny Perrin prevailed over the young Sahaja as the game ended 11-9 in favour of the Swiss player. It was followed by the Men’s Singles category, where Digvijay Pratap Singh of the Punjab Patriots lost to Dennis Novak of Delhi Binny’s Brigade, which ended 9-11 in favour of Novak. Conny Perrin and Arjun Khade of the Punjab Patriots went up against Sahaja Yamalapalli and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan of the Delhi Binny’s Brigade in the Mixed Doubles category, which ended 11-9 as Punjab cliched a thrilling victory. The final game of the match was the Men’s Doubles Doubles category, in which Digvijay Pratap Singh and Arjun Khade of the Punjab Patriots beat Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Dennis Novak of Delhi Binny’s Brigade, with a score of 12-8. Punjab Patriots came out on top after the match ended 43-37. Arjun Khade of Punjab Patriots was awarded player of the match.
 
The third fixture was between Hyderabad Strikers and Gujarat Panthers. The fixture was kicked off by Ellen Perez of Hyderabad Strikers taking on Karman Kaur Thandi of the Gujarat Panthers. The game ended 13-7 in favour of Ellen Perez. The Men’s Singles category saw Niki Poonacha of Hyderabad Strikers taking on Sumit Nagal of the Gujarat Panthers, which ended 12-8 in favour of Hyderabad. The game was followed by the Mixed Doubles, where Ellen Perez and Saketh Myneni of the Hyderabad Strikers went up against Karman Kaur Thandi and Mukund Sashikumar of the Gujarat Panthers. Hyderabad Strikers emerged victorious after the game ended 11-9. The fixture was closed out with the Men’s Doubles in which Sakth Myneni and Niki Poonacha of Hyderabad Strikers drew with Sumit Nagal and Mukund Sashikumar of the Gujarat Panthers after the tie ended 10-all. The Hyderabad Strikers beat the Gujarat Panthers as the match ended 46-34. Ellen Perez of the Hyderabad Strikers was adjudged to be the best player of the match.
 
The last fixture of Day 2 was between Bengal Wizards and Mumbai Leon Army. Maria Timofeeva from Bengal Wizards clashed with Sowjanya Bavisetti of Mumbai Leon Army, which saw Mumbai come out on top with a score of 9-11. The game was followed by the Men’s Singles Category in which Sriram Balaji of the Bengal Wizards lost to Ernest Gulbis of the Mumbai Leon Army as the tie ended 8-12. The next category was that of the Mixed Doubles in which Maria Timofeeva and Anirudh Chandrasekar of the Bengal Wizards locked horns with Sowjanya Bavisetti and Vijay Sundar Prashanth of the Mumbai Leon Army. The Mixed Doubles category ended in favour of Mumbai Leon Army after the game ended 6-14. The day was closed out by the Men’s Doubles category in which Sriram Balaji and Anirudh Chandrasekar of the Bengal Wizards beat Ernest Gulbis and Vijay Sundar Prashanth of Mumbai Leon Army after the clash ended 13-7.  Mumbai Leon Army emerged victorious against Bengal Wizards after the fixture ended 36-44 to close out the second day of season 5 of the Tennis Premier League. Ernest Gulbis of Mumbai Leon Army was awarded the player of the match.
 
Day 2 witnessed some blockbuster clashes on the court at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune. There were some changes in the overall league table too. Punjab Patriots jumped to the top of the table as they had amassed 84 points by the end of Day 2. They are closely followed by Bengaluru SG Mavericks who sit 2nd in the table with 83 points. Bengal Wizards sit 3rd after the fixtures on Day 2 with 82 points. Gujarat Panthers and Hyderabad Strikers are right on their heels with 80 points each and sit 4th and 5th in the table respectively. Delhi Binny’s Brigade sits 6th in the table with 79 points. Mumbai Leon Army ended Day 2 at the 7th spot with 78 points, and the home team Pune Jaguars sit at the foot of the table with 74 points. 
   
All the action from the Tennis Premier League powered by Clear being held at Balewadi Stadium can be witnessed live on SONY TEN 2 channel starting from 4.30pm on the 14th of December 2023.